Meaning & Origins

Pet form of Henry. This was the usual English form of Henry in the Middle Ages and later. It was used by Shakespeare, for example, as the familiar name of the mature King Henry V (compare Hal). Since the publication of the first of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter titles (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) in 1997, Harry has become extremely popular as an independent given name. A meaning of the name Harry is Army Ruler.